California

Volunteers Work to Reclaim an City's Watershed From Trash and Abuse
The Tuolumne River originates in the pristine environment of Yosemite National Park, but eventually some of the water makes its way into the Central Valley and the city of Modesto, where conditions are far less natural.

Cracked Beams Repaired, Commuters Return to San Francisco's Transbay Terminal
After a ten-month closure necessary after inspectors found cracked beams in the Transbay transit terminal mere weeks after opening, regular bus operations finally returned to the $2.2 billion facility earlier this week.

A Retiring Dean Considers the Changing Responsibilities of Planners
Former L.A. City Councilmember and retiring Cal Poly College of Environmental Design Dean Michael Woo reminds readers of the visionary responsibilities of elected officials to ensure the plans of today indeed consider the needs of tomorrow.

Gentrification and Race in the San Francisco Bay Area
A feature article revisits the gentrification and displacement discussion, especially as it pertains to racial and economic demographics, in one of the nation's most troubled and challenging housing markets.

Obsolete Bus-Stop Sign or Treasured Memorabilia?
Sacramento Regional Transit is overhauling its bus system in September, so they old signs for stops will have to go. Instead of scrapping the old signs, the agency is giving them away for collectors' items.

Light Rail to Be Extended East of Los Angeles Again
The longest rail line in the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority system will be extended again, and could eventually cross county lines.

Battle of the Bay: Oakland Ahead of San Francisco in Housing Construction
Call it a role reversal: Oakland is building far more apartments and housing units than San Francisco—a reversal of the history of development in the Bay Area.

Los Angeles County Sets 2050 Carbon Neutrality Target
Land use and transportation planning will play key roles in an effort by Los Angeles County to achieve carbon neutrality in 30 years.

Level of Service Canceled in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles City Council voted to officially end the use of Level of Service in measuring environmental impact in favor of a more people-friendly measure: vehicle miles traveled.

Report: Impact Fees Add 18 Percent to the Cost of Housing in California
Development impact fees in California triple the national average. A bill in the State Legislature would reform the state's development fees, as one measure in an effort to build more housing in the state.

Renewable Natural Gas Makes Inroads in California, Oregon, and Missouri
What is expected to be the nation's largest dairy biogas operation opened in the Central Valley. To the north, Gov. Kate Brown signed the nation's first bill to establish goals to add renewable gas to pipelines, and pigs in Missouri also made news.

Kanye West Lacks Permits for the Prototype Housing Units He Built
Kanye West's first foray into the development business is off to an inauspicious start.

'The Last Black Man in San Francisco' Pays Homage to the City’s People and Places
The film captures a gentrifying San Francisco by incorporating many subtle details about the city's past and present.

Why a Small Town Ditched 'Bargain' Parking Meters
At 25 cents an hour, Nevada City, California's meter rates weren't bringing in enough to pay the employees managing them. A fourfold increase will also help the town confront wildfire risk.

S.F. Bay Area's Caltrain Proposes Major Expansion
The agency wants to increase service and extend its infrastructure to move Caltrain from a commuter rail system to an integrated urban transit network.

California Takes Step Toward Replacing Gas with Electricity in Buildings
Two weeks after Berkeley became the nation's first city to outlaw natural gas lines in new buildings, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to update an old regulation to allow funding for 'fuel switching' from gas to electric appliances.

'Yes In God's Backyard' Offers a New Way Forward for Housing Advocates
San Diego housing advocates have coined a new term: "YIGBY," or "Yes in God's Backyard," to advance prospects for affordable housing development on property underutilized by houses of worship. The city's planning department is receptive.

Lawsuits: Not Just for Development Opponents Anymore
Details of the "Sue the Suburbs" movement wielding a new legal tool to counteract the traditionally obstructionist methods of land use regulation in California.

A Call for Action as Construction Slows in California
An editorial by the Los Angeles Times calls for the state to remove barriers to housing shortage after a report finds declining numbers of residential permits around the state.

Repowered Southern California Natural Gas Power Plant Will Have Lots of Green
Most of the aging 350-megawatt Grayson Power Plant, operated by Glendale Water & Power, will be retired by 2021. The city's utility district has struggled with how to repower it. A compromise reached last month ensures low emissions and reliability.
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